Year 9 Calling and Departure Ceremony

Good Shepherd has this year implemented a unique educational program for our Year 9 students: The Rite Journey (TRJ).

TRJ is a rite of passage – a program designed to support and guide students in their transition from childhood to adolescence. TRJ was officially initiated at GSLC on Monday 11 March with the inaugural Calling and Departure Ceremony.

During the first part of the ceremony, 'The Calling', students spent time with their TRJ teachers working through various activities that encouraged them to show gratitude for their childhood.

Students were then joined by their caregivers and mentors for the second part of the ceremony: ‘The Departure’. Both the students and caregivers had prepared a letter to share with each other, reflecting on their past and looking to their future as they begin to navigate the journey into young adulthood together.

The level of connection and emotion this exercise roused between students and their caregivers was beautiful to see. There was joy, sadness, fondness, longing, hilarity, pride and, in some cases, embarrassment. We saw laughs, tears, blushes and grins as events of the past were remembered and future aspirations were shared.

The Ceremony concluded with a prayer from College Principal Mr Qualischefski before moving on to a shared BBQ dinner to catch up and reconnect.

We cannot thank our Year 9 students, caregivers and College staff enough for their prior preparation and attendance at this important milestone event. Special thanks are extended to our TRJ Coordinator, Miss Harmony Chambers, for the immense effort she has put into implementing this program for our students.

TRJ is already proving to be of great value and benefit to our Year 9s, who will now progress to the next stage of the program: ‘The Following'.

For more information on the TRJ program, please visit the The Rite Journey website.